Victory Road
by Geoloseisma95
Summary: A sequel to Delta Emerald. Brendan, fresh off of his victory against the final Hoenn Gym Leader, arrives at Ever Grande City to challenge the Pokemon League. However, strange activity and disappearances in the ravaged Victory Road stop him in his tracks, and he is forced to challenge unknown foes while uncovering prehistoric mysteries.
1. Chapter 1

**The following is a sequel to ****_Delta Emerald_****, which can be found on my profile. Reading ****_Delta Emerald_**** first is suggested, but not absolutely necessary.**

Swampert climbed the roaring waterfall, using its powerful arms to hoist its trainer Brendan to the top.

Brendan had spent a couple of weeks on Swampert's back, sailing to Ever Grande City to take on the Pokemon League. Finally, they arrived, landing on the island and greeted by a Pokemon Center.

Past the Pokemon Center, several miles of the island were covered by a two-hundred-foot-tall mountain. Construction crews stood atop the mountain and on the ground surrounding it, some operating cranes. Steel beams rose and fell over the mountain. Steven Stone was outside the Pokemon Center, standing with four others. Brendan approached the group.

"Steven!" Brendan called. "I didn't think I'd see you here."

"I knew I'd see you, Brendan," Steven replied.

"So what's going on here?"

"Victory Road was destroyed by Groudon and Kyogre," Steven explained. "Trainers must get through the cave, which is essentially a giant maze filled with powerful Pokemon and trainers, in order to challenge the Elite Four."

"Is there much hope for its reconstruction?"

"Well, the site was progressing well for a while. We were optimistic that the cave would be perfectly stable in just a few more weeks. But… well, something's come up, and we aren't quite sure what."

"Any way I could help?" Brendan asked.

"It isn't safe," Steven said.

"My Pokemon are strong. If we can bring down ancient legendary Pokemon, I think we can handle a shaky cave."

"It isn't just a shaky cave," a female voice spoke up. The pretty tan-skinned woman in a tropical-style bikini with Steven had joined the conversation.

"She's right," Steven continued. "Something is going on in there. Some of the repair crew have started to go missing."

"I'm Phoebe, by the way," the woman added.

"Yes," Steven said. "I forgot to introduce you. Brendan, these here are Sidney, Phoebe of course, Glacia, and Drake. They are the Elite Four. And you've met me, but there is something I haven't told you: I am the Hoenn Champion."

"You're the Champion? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"The proper moment never really arose. I was preoccupied by the matter with Team Aqua and Team Magma."

"I get it. It's nice to meet everyone," Brendan said, feeling humbled. "I was planning to challenge you all, but I take it your hands are tied."

"That's right," Sidney said. "Can't do nothin' 'till the cave's all fixed up."

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?" Brendan checked again.

"We're sure," Steven assured him. "It isn't safe for you to go in there. We've got it under control."

"Alright," Brendan said. "But you have me in your PokeNav. Get ahold of me if I can be of use. I'll just get going."

"Wait, Brendan." Steven stopped him.

"What's up?"

"I still fully recommend that you stay out of the cave," Steven said. "But it wouldn't be fair for me to withhold this information from you, and I don't think I'll be changing your mind after you hear it."

"What's that?" Brendan asked.

"May went into the tunnels five days ago and we lost contact with her. No one has seen her since."

Brendan didn't hesitate.

"What do I need before going in?" he asked, returning Swampert and adjusting his backpack.


	2. Chapter 2

**Happy New Year!**

Brendan walked, coming up on the entrance to Victory Road, to talk to the head of the repair crew about entering. As he neared, he spotted a familiar red face balanced on a rock near the opening.

"Absol!" Brendan said excitedly, jogging towards the Pokemon.

"I'd stay away from that one if I were you," a member of the crew said. Brendan halted.

"It looks pretty aggressive. The thing's been growling at this cave for weeks," the man said.

"It won't hurt me," Brendan said, and he pointed to the stone amulet around the Pokemon's neck. "That's my Absol. It ran away from me a while ago."

"How in the world did it turn up here?"

Brendan looked at his Absol. Its fur was tangled and sticking up in places.

"I guess it swam here," Brendan said.

"Never seen one of them swim before. Whatever, though. If that's your Pokemon, I can't keep you from taking it." The man continued about his business.

"Absol!" Brendan called again, stopping at the edge of the rock. Absol turned to face Brendan. It closed its eyes and sighed, then hopped off of the rock, ran past the repair crew, and vanished into the shadows of the cave.

"What's gotten into you?" Brendan asked, approaching the entrance in pursuit.

"Hey!" a deep voice said while a thick hand held Brendan back by his chest.

"You can't go in there without proper gear," the owner of the hand said, a forty-something-year-old man with curly blonde hair protruding from beneath his yellow hardhat.

"Sorry," Brendan said, stepping back. "Can you help me gear up?"

"Did you get clearance from Steven?" the man asked. He looked to the south end of the island.

"Steven!" he yelled. Steven looked up and lifted a thumb in the air.

"I guess you're good," he continued. "Come with me."

Brendan followed the man to a tarp at the east side of the island. Various tools were laid out on the tarp. Beside it, in massive heavy-duty wheelbarrows, was even more equipment.

"You'll need this," the man said, picking up an orange hardhat with a built-in headlamp from one of the wheelbarrows and tossing it to Brendan. Brendan caught the helmet and put it on.

"A couple of these wouldn't hurt. It's dark as sin in there." The man picked up a couple of heavy flashlights from the tarp and handed them to Brendan. "Those little baggies taped to them carry extra batteries. If you get down to your last batteries, get out of there. Once that light goes out, you ain't never finding your way out."

The man messed around with some more equipment, handing Brendan various things for him to keep in his bag. Eventually, Brendan had everything he needed.

"You're good to go," the man said. "Your PokeNav should be able to reach Steven if you run into trouble. If not, use the walkie talkie I gave you to call for help. I'd stick around somebody at all times."

"I'll try," Brendan said, fixing his backpack's straps to account for the added weight.

"Good. Now, you'll notice some cave-ins on the first level. Apparently there's a network of tunnels running underneath Hoenn, and those cave-ins have given us access. The primary objective is to repair the cave. Actually, scratch that: first and foremost, find those lost people if you can. Then we repair the cave. I've told my men to stick to the cave, especially since we started losing people. But, seeing as you're an explorer, my guess is the tunnels are far more interesting to you. You won't find anyone in them to hang out with if you go in, though."

"Got it," Brendan confirmed. "Do you know if anyone else has gone in the tunnels?"

"Just a few volunteers such as yourself. But all 'cept one of them came back out, and we haven't heard from the one still in there."

"May," Brendan said.

"I don't know her name. We're pretty sure she's down in those tunnels, though."

"Okay," Brendan said. "I'm going in."

"Be careful, and phone in your position to Steven once in a while."

Brendan checked that his PokeNav was charged before leaving the sunlight for the cave. He kept his headlamp off, as torches lit the first cavern. Thirty or so construction workers were scattered around the cave, checking on steel beams that had been wedged between the floor and the ceiling, reinstalling wood and rope bridges between cliffs within the first room, and hauling away piles of fallen debris beneath holes in the ceiling that were patched with wire mesh.

To the west side of the cave, gaping holes where the ground had crumbled away opened doorways to the shadowy underground. Brendan bypassed the repair crews and made his way to the holes, which averaged around fifteen feet in diameter. Most of them looked undisturbed, and some of them were inaccessible, blocked up by their own fallen material. Footprints led down one hole where the ground had collapsed to form an easy slope to climb down on. Brendan followed the prints into the start of the tunnels. He clicked on his headlamp.

The walls, ceiling, and floor of the tunnel were perfectly leveled; he felt as if he were standing in a long, narrow box. Shielded from the destruction that the legendary Pokemon had caused, little dust had fallen from the ceiling to the floor, and so no footprints marked where the trainers before him had ventured. He shined the light down both ends of the skinny tunnel. The nearest turn was on the left side, so he took this path in hopes of finding evidence of May.

When he turned at the corner, he found a large chamber with unusual dots marking every inch of the walls, broken into perfect rows and written in some sort of pattern. He ran the tips of his fingers along the dots nearest to him. The walls had been cut away around the dots so that they were raised.

"This must have taken a lot of work to make," Brendan said. The cavern repeated his words in an echo. "I wonder what it's supposed to mean."

Something chirped above him, and he instinctively looked up, blinding a Golbat. The angry Pokemon started to fall, flapping its wings just in time to avoid impacting the ground. It hissed at Brendan.

"Go, Alakazam!" Brendan yelled, releasing the Pokemon May had given him. The Psychic type braced itself on the ground, letting Golbat whip up blades of air.

"Psychic!" Brendan ordered. Alakazam disrupted Golbat's attack, cutting through the air with purple beams and telekinetically mangling the bat. The wild Pokemon fell again, this time slumping on the ground. Brendan threw a Great Ball. It shook once, twice, three times on the ground before clicking and disappearing with the captured Pokemon to Brendan's PC.

"Nice work," Brendan said, returning Alakazam.

Brendan noticed that the ceiling was coated with Golbat and Zubat. None of the others were brave enough to attack, so Brendan moved on to the opposite side of the chamber. A single path led out of the underground room.

Brendan followed the new tunnel, which again was perfectly straight until a single ninety degree turn some seventy feet away. Upon reaching the turn, he found the tunnel continued straight again. His light did not reach the end.

Claustrophobia set in as he reached the next turn, surely an hour or more after starting down the tunnel. It bent at a right angle again, though at this point he had lost his sense of direction, and he was met by another indeterminably long pathway. Absol stood around this corner, holding a little yellow bag in its mouth.

Brendan took the bag and ran his palm against the fabric.

"This is May's bag," he said to himself. He faced his Pokemon and requested, "Absol, I need you to take this back to the surface for me so they know I've taken the right path. Then, come back down here and try to find me. Can I get you to do that?"

Absol grunted and snatched the bag from Brendan. Brendan let his Pokemon squeeze by in the narrow tunnel and watched it run until disappearing in the dark shadows beyond the reach of his headlamp.

Alone again, Brendan kept walking, feeling more confident now that he knew he was on the right track.

Something moved behind him. He turned on his heels to face his follower, only to find he was still alone. Sensing movement overhead, he looked up. Not even a Zubat clung to the rocky ceiling.

As he proceeded through the seemingly endless tunnel, he could not shake the feeling that he was being watched, though he could not find the prying eyes.

Wishing he'd brought a watch to track the time, Brendan reached another large cavern at the end of the tunnel filled with strange ancient markings after what felt like hours of walking. His calves throbbing lightly, Brendan found a large rock and sat down, careful not to lean on the wall and damage the natives' handiwork.

Like the first chamber, this one had just two tunnels, including the one from which he'd entered. Peering into the dark space of the next tunnel, he saw a tall shape. The shape, as if realizing it'd been spotted, fell back into the tunnel where Brendan could no longer watch it.

"Whatever you are," Brendan called out to the hiding figure, not certain he wasn't becoming paranoid. "I've got powerful Pokemon with me. If you can understand what I'm saying: you'd be smart to leave me alone."

Only his own echo responded.

Brendan sat for twenty minutes, massaging his tired legs, before getting up again and tackling the next tunnel.

He could not see the end of this tunnel, either. However, the wall had collapsed partially on the left side. Brendan shone his light through the small opening, noticing that a chamber sat on the other side of the wall.

"Go!" Brendan said, throwing a Pokeball. Swampert came out, squeezed uncomfortably in the tiny space.

"Sorry about the tight fit, buddy. Do you think you can knock down the rest of this wall for me?"

Swampert rammed its body into the wall. Brendan heard some of the rock tumble on the other side.

"That's good. Keep going."

Swampert rammed again, three more times, before the wall fell away completely.

"What the…"

Brendan was awestruck. A mass of panicked Floatzel, Gastrodon, and Gabite scurried out of the chamber, nearly trampling Brendan in their hurry to get away. They took off the way Brendan had come.

"Those are all Sinnoh Pokemon," Brendan explained to the confused Swampert. "I know I've walked a long way, but not _that_ long. Those Pokemon aren't native to Hoenn."

Swampert, fed up with the small space, backed into the newly opened chamber and stretched its limbs. Something clinked inside, followed by a ground-shaking thud.

"Sounds big," Brendan commented. "Are you ready?"

Swampert sucked in its drooling tongue and growled.


	3. Chapter 3

Swampert whimpered as Brendan led it deeper into the cavern. The ground shook harder in response to each thud as they proceeded. Brendan and Swampert climbed a slope, at the top of which they could see movement.

A massive Pokemon was walking around at the section of the cavern over the slope. It stopped and pounded its long gray arms on the caverns walls. Then, it turned around, facing Brendan with a face covered in seven dots forming a rough circle.

The Pokemon's body looked to be made of solid steel. An indent marked the center of its body from the top down to its midsection, in which the dots were set. It made a hideous grinding sound, like steel being mangled by a rusty machine. The Pokemon walked towards Brendan, shaking the ground with each heavy footstep.

"What is that thing?" Brendan wondered aloud. Swampert tensed up.

The Pokemon lifted its left arm and dropped it onto the ground at Brendan. Brendan jumped out of the way, sliding backward down the slope and hitting his head. Swampert growled and jumped on the Pokemon. The strange Pokemon picked Swampert up and tossed it down beside Brendan. Swampert flipped back onto its feet while Brendan stood back up, as well.

The Pokemon stayed at the top of the slope, clanking its metallic hands together. It tested its foot on the slope, nearly losing its balance and falling. It clapped it hands again, this time stomping a foot in unison.

"I don't think it can get down," Brendan said. "We're safe right here. Hit it with a Surf!"

Swampert rose onto its hind legs, summoning pools of water from the ground, and thrust itself forward. The water climbed up the slope in waves, knocking the aggressor onto its back and carrying it out of sight beyond the slope. Brendan and Swampert climbed the slope halfway, just enough to see the Pokemon again.

The Pokemon was rolling on its back, struggling to stand up.

"Earthquake!" Brendan commanded. The ground shook, and the cave crumbled all around. Rocks piled on the ground, falling in hundred-pound chunks from the ceiling. The attacking Pokemon vibrated on the cold floor, repeating its torturing sound. Finally, it kicked itself off of the ground and hit the wall, somehow keeping itself upright. It stumbled a few steps towards the slope, eventually regaining its balance and charging. Reaching the edge of the slope, it slowed down, then stopped. It looked over the edge and roared.

Brendan noticed the piles of fallen rock, some of them feet away from him.

"Let's not do that again," Brendan said, and Swampert nodded.

Pounding its feet, the Pokemon made another grinding sound. At its command, the slope fell apart sending a cascade of rock tumbling towards Brendan and Swampert. Swampert grabbed Brendan by his shirt and threw him onto its back, protecting him from the landslide. Swampert grunted as the stones rolled over its feet and slammed into its legs.

The odd Pokemon above the slope hammered its hands together again. Swampert howled at it and created another wall of water, sending it forward. The water struck the wall, unable to ascend the ruined slope.

"Rock Slide!" Brendan called, still riding on Swampert's back. His Pokemon puffed up its chest and stomped on the ground, causing the ceiling over the platform past the fallen slope to crash on top of the unidentified Pokemon. It squealed like tearing sheets of metal and fell on its back. Swampert kept going, overwhelming the fallen Pokemon with dropping stones.

When Swampert ceased its attack, the Pokemon did not move. After a moment, it started glowing, and a brown shell engulfed its entire body.

"It's—it's Mega Evolving?"

Beams of energy swirled around the shell, penetrating its walls and receding back in. After a while, the shell broke apart, shattering into nonexistence. The Pokemon was now graphite-gray. Its legs and arms seemed to have fused together, and it was hunched over. The indent down the center of its body had deepened. Brendan waited for the Pokemon to act, but it did not move.

"Squirt a bit of water at it, Swampert," Brendan said. Swampert spit a small stream at the stationary Pokemon, initiating no reaction.

"Think we should chance going up there?"

Swampert shrugged its shoulders.

"I guess we don't have any other options. Take me to the edge of the platform."

Swampert obliged, letting Brendan stand on its back and climb onto the platform. Brendan returned Swampert to its Pokeball and slowly approached the transformed Pokemon.

After observing it for several minutes, Brendan was satisfied it would not move again. Brendan turned away from the Pokemon, listening carefully in case it shifted.

He jumped. A skeleton lied in the back of the chamber, draped in torn fabric that might have once been clothing and clutching a rotting bag. Brendan stepped towards the remains. A single book protruded from the bag.

Brendan knelt on the ground and looked inside the bag, taking the book. With the aged literature missing, the bag was empty. Still disturbed by the bones, Brendan retreated to another end of the cavern.

The book hardly held together as he pried the cover off of the dirty yellow pages. He gently blew dust from the first page and read the print. The page was covered with paired dots and letters. He'd found a key to the ancient script.

Brendan flipped through the rest of the book. It was empty. So, Brendan looked around, his headlamp starting to flicker and dim as the batteries were drained. He found a single series of dots on the walls. He deciphered the text.

"R," he said. "E—G—I—S—T—E—E—L. Registeel? What does that mean?"

Brendan looked at the skeleton again.

"I'd stop to pay my respects, Mr. Bones," Brendan said. "But, quite frankly, you're really starting to freak me out."

Pocketing the book, Brendan looked down the platform. The collapse from Swampert's Earthquake blocked the way.

"Okay," Brendan said. "I guess I'm not going that way."

He looked around the walls of the upper level. A single pinhole allowed a thin ray of light into the chamber. Brendan checked the wall closer. Closing one eye, he looked through the hole, seeing that it led outside. He used his hands to pull more rocks away from the wall. Slowly, he dug an opening large enough to squeeze through. He slid his legs out first, then his upper body.

A light drizzle wet his hands. He removed the hardhat, letting the rainwater cool his head.

When his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, he surveyed his surroundings.

"I made it all the way to Route 120?" he said to himself. He backed away from the chamber, finding that he had escaped from a short cliff sticking up from the land.

He enjoyed the rain a moment longer, then pulled out a Pokeball. Without further delay, Brendan released his Swellow and hopped on its back.

"Take me back to Ever Grande City," he said. The bird spread its wings and took to the sky.

_For a rough sketch of the Registeel form from this chapter, check out the link on my profile.  
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	4. Chapter 4

Swellow landed on the southern tip of Ever Grande City. Brendan hopped off and called back his Pokemon.

Steven wasn't in front of the Pokemon Center anymore. Brendan returned to the entrance of Victory Road and found the head of the construction crew.

"Hey," Brendan said, stealing the man's attention away from his blueprints.

"Where did you come from? I never saw you come out."

"I found an exit over on Route 120. There's something weird over there, I need to tell Steven."

"You'll have to catch him on his PokeNav, then. He and the Elites have gone in. What kind of weird?"

"Dangerous weird."

"I'll get some men over there."

"No," Brendan said. "At least, don't let them in. Just let them guard the entrance. It's a big cliff with a hole in the side."

"What's in there?"

"I'm not sure. A strange Pokemon. It was tough. I found a bunch of Sinnoh Pokemon, so maybe that's where it came from."

"Sinnoh Pokemon? You let those things out? We've found a few of them wondering around the cave."

"Have you seen them in this area before?"

"Never. We've called in a researcher who's on vacation here from Sinnoh. You should talk to him."

Before Brendan could speak, the construction lead was gone, chasing down the researcher. He came back moments later, a pair of people with him.

"Hello," the short, scrawny male researcher said, pushing his glasses higher up his nose and reaching out a hand. "I'm Prof. Tsumura. Would you mind telling me what you found in the caves?"

"Not at all," Brendan said. He recounted the tale, detailing the Pokemon with dots on its face, its attack, and its transformation.

"This transformation," the professor said. "Mega Evolution, you called it? I've never heard of it. How does it work?"

"It was only rediscovered recently. We aren't sure how it works, but so far it seems to be activated through stones held by a Pokemon and a trainer. This one was different, though. It just transformed on its own, and instead of becoming more powerful, it just went dead still."

"Interesting." The researcher squinted and looked up at the sky. Tapping his foot, he said, "Well, I don't think I've heard of the Pokemon you've described."

"But Daddy," the young, blue-haired girl at his side interrupted. "Doesn't it sound like Regigigas?"

"Baby, that's just an old myth," the researcher insisted, patting her on the head. "It isn't real."

"Regigigas?" Brendan asked.

"It's Sinnoh myth. There's no truth to any of it."

"Don't you know why they're cleaning up Victory Road?"

"True. Still, the Regigigas legend is just too farfetched. No evidence has ever surfaced in its support."

"Until now, possibly. The tunnels are covered in ancient writings. I found this key in the cave with the Pokemon." Brendan took the old book out of his bag. "I was able to decipher something written in the chamber. It said 'Registeel.'"

The researcher took the book and turned it over in his hands. He looked under the cover at the fading key.

"Registeel. Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Brendan confirmed. The researcher sighed.

"I guess the legend is true after all, then. In which case, I want you to find out more," Prof. Tsumura said, handing back the key. "Although I'm still skeptical, to be perfectly honest."

"Daddy, be nice," his child said. He stroked her hair.

"Alright, alright. The legend says that Regigigas, from the Sinnoh region, was fearfully strong, capable of pulling the continents that Groudon had formed. It was revered by the ancients, but their fear overpowered their admiration. Supposedly, they sealed the Pokemon away in the Sinnoh. Before they did, Regigigas created three Pokemon in its image, crafted from earthly materials. To keep them from empowering Regigigas, they were carried far away and sealed into separate chambers."

"Call Steven," the head of repair cut in. "I just tried, I can't get ahold of him."

Brendan fiddled with his PokeNav and found Steven's number, dialing it. The gear rang for thirty seconds, but no one answered.

"The fool's probably found some pretty rocks," the head of repair said. "I'll keep trying to catch him. You should look for him when you go back in."

"Alright. I'm going to do that now," Brendan said. The researcher and his daughter left.

"Before you go: how are you doing on light?"

"The headlamp was starting to go out."

"Here, just switch helmets."

The man picked up a fresh helmet, checked the headlamp, and switched it with Brendan's. Brendan put on the new hardhat, thanked the man and returned to the cave.

He took the same path as before, dropping into the tunnels and reentering to the first chamber full of dots. He pulled out the key along with a notepad and pencil and started examining the walls, writing down his translations.

At the end of several lines, he stopped to read his work.

_With one eye, and one arm, and a beast of three heads, a power-hungry man will conquer the world. His reign will be unjust, and his enforcement cruel. His three-headed monster will kill many, and his minions will kill many more. Pokemon will be annihilated. Trainers will be extinct. The world will cry_.

Brendan closed his notebook and looked around. There must have been tens of thousands of words covering the walls. Hoping the next chamber would reveal more about Regigigas and its creations, Brendan left, walking through the narrow tunnels again.

When, after much walking, he found the next chamber, he learned that the previous story repeated. He translated a little more of the text, all of which related to the man conquering the world. Wanting more information about Registeel, and desperate to find May, he kept going, passing by Registeel's chamber and taking the tunnel into which his follower had earlier vanished.


	5. Chapter 5

Brendan had turned left down another tunnel with no end in sight. He heard breathing deeper in the tunnel. Keeping his head forward, he took out a Pokeball.

A rust-red claw at the end of furry white leg came into view. Absol was stood sideways in the tunnel, watching Brendan out of the corner of one eye and peering into the darkness of the tunnel with the other. When Brendan reached its side, it turned away from him and backed up to stand adjacent to him.

"What's up, Absol?" he said, noticing the Pokemon baring its teeth. It didn't acknowledge that Brendan had spoken. Instead, it stared straight forward, perhaps seeing something in the dark beyond Brendan's perception. Absol shifted its feet anxiously.

Giving up on communication, Brendan kept walking. Absol matched his pace, staying right by his side. Soon, the light from Brendan's headlamp illuminated a nearly bald man, sporting only a tuft of red hair at the front of his dome.

"Sidney?" Brendan asked, nearing the Elite Four member. "Are you alright?"

Sidney didn't speak. His eyes were perfectly still, staring at nothing in particular. Sidney hunched his back slightly, and drool fell from his lips.

"Sidney?" Brendan tried again. Sidney threw something. A Pokeball. His Mightyena joined them in the restricting tunnel.

"Absol," Brendan said. "Sit this one out. Hariyama, go!"

Brendan sent out his Fighting type.

"Brick Break!" Brendan yelled. Sidney raised an arm silently, pointing at Brendan. Mightyena looked back at its trainer nervously, then lunged at Hariyama. Hariyama stopped the Pokemon with a massive orange hand, then smacked it backward with the other palm. Mightyena squealed and limped backwards. Hariyama followed it, taking it out with a second Brick Break.

Sidney returned his Pokemon and threw another Pokeball, his eyes fixed even as his head turned with the motion of the toss. Shiftry came out.

Shiftry pierced Hariyama's body with Psychic ripples, forcing the heavier Pokemon to trip and land on the ground. Hariyama lifted itself, holding its entire weight with one arm and swiping at Shiftry with the other. Hariyama's strike hit the target hard, crushing Shiftry against a tunnel wall.

While Shiftry recovered from the impact, Hariyama stood back up and trampled over the injured opponent. Shiftry fainted, so Sidney returned it.

Now, Sidney switched to Cacturne and raised his index finger once more. Cacturne swung its spiky arms back and forth, closing in on Hariyama. Hariyama retreated until it bumped into Brendan.

Cacturne sliced at Hariyama repeatedly. Hariyama responded by knocking it back with Brick Break.

Cacturne prepared itself to attack while Brendan gave the next command.

"Try Poison Jab, Hariyama!"

The point of the blue v-shaped ridge on Hariyama's face turned dark purple. Hariyama took Cacturne by the shoulders and head-butted the foe, driving the sharp point into its forehead. Cacturne choked on the air and leaned against the wall for support.

"Finish it off with Strength!" Brendan ordered. Hariyama picked up Cacturne and slammed it against the wall, knocking the Pokemon out. Sidney returned it, but did not relent. He sent out Sharpedo.

The blue shark flopped on the ground. Hariyama took a step towards it, and the fish snapped, barely missing Hariyam's leg.

"Come back, Hariyama," Brendan said while Sharpedo struggled to work its way forward. "Take over, Manectric!"

The sparking canine came out barking. Sharpedo tried to hop faster on the ground, with little success.

"Thunderbolt!"

The tunnel was overtaken by the blinding light from the attack. Brendan shielded his eyes. When he could see again, Sharpedo was breathing heavily on the floor in defeat, and Sidney returned it.

"Sidney," Brendan said. "Sidney!" He couldn't get his attention.

Sidney turned away and limped slowly into the shadows. Brendan let him get his distance, afraid he might be carrying more Pokemon. Fifteen minutes later, Brendan returned Manectric and, with Absol at his side, continued.

The end of the painfully long tunnel revealed yet another large cavern with ancient script marking the walls. Here, the dots seemed to form different patterns than in the other two rooms. Brendan retrieved the key and started decoding.

_In a bloody mess, under heavy weight, a hundred people shall perish. Conflict abound no longer, the one who deals the fatal blow will emerge unscathed with the defeat of a mighty champion at his credit._

"Still nothing about Registeel or Regigigas," Brendan said. Absol squinted one eye and turned its head, confused.

"Very powerful Pokemon are hidden down here," Brendan explained. "And I'd like to know more about them in case I get forced into battling one again."

Absol nodded, then turned abruptly towards the single exit tunnel at the opposite end of the room. Phoebe, wearing her blue two-piece outfit, came out of the darkness. Her eyes were unmoving between the giant pink flowers pinned to the sides of her head.

Wordlessly, she released a Dusclops.

"Absol," Brendan said. "You can take this one."

Absol confronted the attacker. Brendan touched the little piece of meteorite embedded on a bracelet that he had gotten off of Team Magma's leader Maxie during a confrontation on Mt. Chimney. A brown shell, quite like the one that had concealed Registeel earlier, hid Absol. When Absol reappeared, it had Mega Evolved, sporting cosmetic wings and a longer, jagged crescent on its head.

Dusclops punched the air. A dark silhouette of its fist kept going, whizzing through the air and passing through Absol. Absol shook its head and winced.

"Night Slash!" Brendan called.

Absol raced towards Dusclops and dug into the ghost's body with its long rusty blade. Dusclops wailed and sank into the ground slightly. Phoebe returned the weakened Pokemon and sent out Banette.

Banette shook its arm in the air in front of it, casting blue orbs snaking around rapidly.

"It's Will-O-Wisp. Don't let it hit you."

Absol hit the deck, letting the orbs shoot overhead. It stood back up and charged.

"You know what to do, Absol!"

Grunting, Absol swiped at Banette with its crescent and came back to Brendan. Phoebe switched Banette with a different Banette.

"Again, Absol!"

Pools of sludge appeared on the ground as Banette used Toxic. Absol darted around the threatening puddles, coming up to Banette and taking it out with a single hit. With a loose stance, Phoebe sent out Sableye in place of the second Banette.

Sableye scratched at the ground, sending glittering gems afloat that cut through the air and pelted Absol.

Absol held its ground through the attack, then struck Sableye furiously with its blade. Sableye clawed at Absol's sides, unable to break away. Finally, Absol, shoved Sableye backward, letting it flip around and face plant.

Phoebe held out a Pokeball and returned her Pokemon. A slimy string of saliva broke from her mouth, wetting the ground, and she turned around, going back into the tunnel.


	6. Chapter 6

Brendan had no option but to follow the path Phoebe had taken. Still, despite her slow pace, he did not encounter her in the couple of hours he spent trekking through the next few tunnels.

Absol, reverted out of its Mega form, walked with Brendan. They reached a fork in the path, the first choice of direction Brendan had since first entering the tunnel networks. Brendan shined his light down both tunnels, trying to see where they led without success.

With a soft hum, Absol started walking down the right path.

"Are you sure that's where she's at?" Brendan asked. Absol turned to look at him, then turned away and kept walking, so Brendan followed.

Fifty feet in, he could see something red lying on the ground. Absol darted to it, picked it up, and brought it back to Brendan.

It was a red bow. His hands shook as he pressed his nose into the smooth fabric, inhaling May's sweet lingering aromas. Tasting salt on his lips, Brendan folded the bow and carefully slid it into his pocket, then wiped the tears off of his cheeks and, with trembling legs, stood himself back up.

Absol yelped. It was scratching at the wall right beside them. Brendan shone the headlamp over the wall, revealing a hole at the bottom hardly wide enough for him to squeeze through.

"What is it, Absol?" Brendan asked. The Pokemon clawed at the wall still. Brendan lied flat on the ground and looked through the opening. He could see a chamber leading up a slope. Dots marked the furthest wall, up beyond the slope. Memorizing the pattern, he sat up and took out the key. Swiftly, he wrote out his translation in his notepad.

"Regirock," he told Absol. "This is one of those strong Pokemon I was telling you about. I don't think I should go in there, it'd be better to just keep going."

Absol nudged Brendan with its head, then scratched the wall again.

"Why's this so important to you?" he asked. Absol sniffed around Brendan's lap.

"Hey! Cut that out!" Brendan said, jumping up. Absol pawed at Brendan's pocket.

"Oh," he said, taking the cue. "I get it."

Quickly, he hit the ground and tried to crawl on his belly through the hole. His backpack stopped him, so he yanked it off of his shoulders and forced his way through the opening and into the chamber.

Sinnoh Pokemon lined the walls, shivering in fear. Brendan scanned the lower area and found a mass huddled in the corner. Nearly wiping out over some rocks, he ran to the girl, who wore her signature red tank top.

"May!" he cried, stooping over and taking her in his arms. She coughed as he raised her.

"Brendan!" she whispered. "No! Get down!"

Something hit his side, knocking the wind out of him. He dropped May and reached for the wall, trying not to fall on her. The entity struck again, sending Brendan airborne. He slammed into the slope at the center line of the cavern.

Disoriented, he shone his light towards May. A rocky creature with far-stretching arms and spots on its face in the shape of an 'H' stood over her, facing Brendan. Regirock sent tremors through the ground and into Brendan's body as it drew near. Absol howled through the opening in the wall.

Without standing, Brendan rolled a Pokeball out of his pocket, releasing Swampert. Swampert beat the ground and galloped around the cave. Brendan propped himself up on one elbow and grabbed his wrist, wrapping his fingers around his bracelet and making contact with the meteorite. Quickly, a brown case engulfed Swampert and hid it while it Mega Evolved. With a crash, the shell dissipated and Mega Swampert shook the cavern with its bulk.

On its toes, Swampert drew water from the ground and rammed it into Regirock. The waves washed the Pokemon away, giving Brendan time to stand up. He popped his elbows and straightened his knees to work out some of the pain, then instructed Swampert.

"Try to keep it off of its feet, Swampert. Keep using Surf," he said, clutching his side where a sharp pain made him gag.

Swampert collected more water, turning the cavern into a small pool. Brendan trudged through the water towards May, dodging Regirock as it rolled the opposite way. May gurgled under the water, struggling to keep her face above the surface.

"Let it drain, Swampert!" Brendan yelled. The water seeped into the ground and rushed out of the opening.

Brendan stomped across the muddy ground to reach May. A long stony arm crashed into the ground right beside him. He was splattered by mud and fragments of rock from the Pokemon's arm. Swampert leaped onto Regirock's back and slammed it into the ground. Then, it summoned a small pool and held the Pokemon down in the isolated body of water.

"You can do it, Swampert. Don't quit," Brendan coughed. He continued across the cavern towards May. He heard clanging behind him, but could not tell who attacked who. Mud slapped his calves and shins while he slogged to the fallen girl's rescue.

Swampert hollered painfully, and Brendan swiveled to see why. Regirock stood directly behind him, leaning its lumbering body forward. Brendan hit the deck, sliding across the cavern while Regirock body-slammed the ground where he had stood. Swampert was not far behind, driving the Pokemon into the ground with incessant hammering from its thick arms.

"Rock Slide!"

Swampert dropped boulders from the ceiling, burying Regirock. A sudden blast forced the stones away, and Regirock disappeared behind a brown shell. When it finished transforming, it was the same dark shade of gray as Registeel had taken, and its body had absorbed its legs. It sat on its legless stump with elongated arms and taller shoulder spikes.

His enemy down, Brendan completed the distance through the cavern to May's side. He picked her up and wiped the loose dampened strands of brunette hair out of her face. Her eyelids fluttered; she masked her eyes from the glaring headlamp.

Brendan removed his helmet and set it in the mud next to them.

"Is it gone?" May whispered.

"It's gone," Brendan assured her. "Well, it won't attack again, at least."

"You don't have to hold me up. I think I'm strong enough to do it myself by now," she said.

"I don't care."

May smirked.

"How long were you trapped in here?" Brendan asked.

"I don't know. It knocked me out right after I found it, I don't know how quickly I woke up. I was staying still hoping it wouldn't see more for maybe thirty minutes."

"Are you hurt?"

"Just a little sore. How about you?"

Brendan's whole body ached.

"I'm fine," he lied.

"And I'm the Queen of Kalos. I saw you hit that wall, Newcomer." May spoke louder, shoving herself higher so she could wrap an arm around Brendan's neck. "Now, you didn't come in here just to rescue me, did you?"

"Oh, no, I just wanted the recognition," Brendan said, laughing. "Save some lost cave explorers, I'd be sure to make the news again."

"Explorers? Plural?"

"You weren't the only one to go missing, May. Although you are the only one I've found."

"How many are gone?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask."

May was quiet.

"Where are your Pokemon?" Brendan asked.

"They should be right outside. I had to take my backpack off to squeeze through, and I accidentally left my Pokemon with it."

"Absol found your bag. It's on the surface. Oh, and your bow!"

Brendan fetched the piece of fabric from his pocket and pinned it in May's hair. He caressed her cheek before taking his hand away from her face.

"Well, well, Newcomer. Feeling affectionate? Sure seems like you were worried."

"Me? Worried? Never."

"I was worried about you, too, Brendan."

"Why?"

"I knew you would be coming in here, one way or another."

She took his hand and massaged his fingers. Behind them, Swampert returned to its normal form.

"Let's get you to the surface," Brendan said, taking his hardhat then standing up and pulling May with him. She leaned on his shoulder with an arm around his waist.

"I thought you said you could stand on your own," he teased.

"I can." She blushed.

They started for the cave exit. May limped slightly, but otherwise held herself together. Brendan returned Swampert and bent down in front of the hole.

"Absol!" he called. The Pokemon grunted, confirming its presence

"I'm sending May out. Keep an eye on her, would you?" He helped May lie down and started pushing her feet-first through the hole.

"Hey, Absol," May said. "It's about time Brendan showed up to get you."

"You knew it was here and didn't tell me?"

"I didn't want to scare you."

Brendan froze, startled by the reality he had been trying to ignore.

"Because, you know what they say about Absol, right? How they can foretell disaster?" she continued.

"I know."

May slipped through the hole, and Brendan squirmed through after her. She was standing by the time he joined her and Absol. When he got back up, she leaned on him again.

"We've got a long way to go," Brendan cautioned.

"I know! It was such a pain getting here. I wonder what we're standing under right now."

"I try not to think about it, makes me feel claustrophobic."

"You're such a softie, Newcomer." She jabbed his side playfully, and he winced.

"Liar!" she accused. "You are in pain!"

"Just a little," he said.

"Where else are you hurt?"

"Nowhere."

"So if I hit you again somewhere else, you won't mind?"

Brendan ran his fingers through her hair. "If you hit me again, I'll let you walk back out of here alone."

"Fair enough," she said. "I hope you know I only need you for you Pokemon, though."

"Yeah, yeah."

May insisted she did not tire during the several hours it took them to get out of the cave. Nonetheless, she and Brendan both were limping and out of breath by the time they stepped into the open air under the crisp, starry late-night sky in Ever Grande City.

"We found another one," Brendan said as the head of construction approached. "Another one of those strange Pokemon. We left it dormant in a cavern, it's what took out May."

"Thank Helix you're alive, girl," the man replied. "What about the others?"

"I didn't find any of the others. Do you think there are enough of those things to have taken everybody?"

"Before you went into the cave, I'd have said yes."

"What does that mean?" May asked.

"We've lost contact with almost everybody. Steven, all of the Elite Four, Prof. Tsumura… at least 150 people have stopped responding."

"There's no way they all wandered into caves and got attacked," Brendan agreed.

"Let's not worry about that right now. You two look like you've been through a wood chipper. Come on, you can get checked out in the Pokemon Center," the captain said.

The three people, plus Absol, went into the Pokemon Center. Nurses inside treated Brendan and May, and insisted that they rest overnight. Come morning, they were both cleared for reentry.

"I'd say you let professionals take care of this, but after what you did in Sootopolis, I can't think of anybody more powerful to call in. Except Steven, who's already in there," the repair lead said when everyone was awake and returning to work. "I've already called out the rest of my crew for the time being."

"I can handle it. May, why don't you keep resting out here while I check it out? I'll keep you posted through my PokeNav," Brendan suggested.

"No can do," May said. "You aren't shaking me off this time, dude."

"It's really best if you stay out here where it's safe."

"Nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah," May mocked. "I don't care. It's safer for you out here, too. If you're going in, I'm going in."

"That's not happening," Brendan argued.

"Look," she said. "If you go in there alone, without me, then I'll just wait until you're far enough in that you won't even know I'm following. Either we go in together, or I run in after you to play catch-up. Which do you think is safer?"

Knowing she meant it, Brendan caved.

"Fine," he said. "But you're sticking right with me. You won't leave my side."

"I don't want to," she said. "That's the point."

"Alright, good."

"Good."

"That's enough flirting, you two," the head of repair intervened. "If you're going back in, you need to get a move on. I want you both back out of there before five o'clock. Got it?"

"Got it," May said. "Let's go, Newcomer!"

May ran to the cave while Brendan jogged behind her.

"Urgh, you're so slow!" she laughed, waiting in the cave's entrance while Brendan picked up both of their bags filled with gear and grabbed a couple of hardhats.

_For a rough sketch of the Regirock form from this chapter, check out the link on my profile._


	7. Chapter 7

"Shouldn't we investigate the upper levels? That's where most of the people will have disappeared from," May suggested.

"Nope," Brendan said, continuing to the pit at the left that he and May had taken every time so far. "There's something going on in here that I didn't tell anyone up on top about."

"Why not?"

"Because they'd have probably stopped us from coming back in."

Brendan pointed at the thick dirt leading into the tunnel where he noticed a detail they had missed the night before. Numerous footprints descended into the dark, forgotten chambers.

"They all came down here, into the tunnels. I guess they took a different turn at some point, so we never saw them," Brendan said while May came to inspect the footprints.

"But you figured they were down there already. How come?"

"I ran into Sidney and Phoebe, at different times. Both of them were in this sort of trance. They wouldn't move their eyes, they wouldn't respond to me talking. They sent out their Pokemon against me, and when I defeated them, they slowly walked away. Except somehow, Phoebe vanished even though I was walking a lot faster than her."

"Do you think that's happened to everybody?"

"I don't know. Maybe. That would explain why so many of them walked away into the tunnels when they were told not to, without ever signaling their location."

May slid down the dirt pile into the tunnel.

"Well, you heard the man! We're on a time crunch. Let's get going," she said, rocking while she waited for Brendan to join her.

Brendan hopped down and found that Absol waited in the tunnel for them.

"Hey, Absol. I was wondering how far you'd taken off," he said. The Pokemon rubbed against May's side, turned around, and stood directly next to Brendan so he could pet it. Together, the three restarted the monotonous voyage through the underground.

At the fork in the road, where Absol led Brendan to May in Regirock's chamber, they took the other path. In place of a sealed up ancient entity, they found what appeared to be a large shrine, decorated with beautiful stones and lined with primitive candles, the wicks of which had long ago been burned away. A brief passage was written in the old script above the top of the intricately carved shrine. Brendan took out they key.

"What's that?" May prodded. "Looks well-used."

"It's an old book I found with Registeel. It lets me translate the ancient writing."

"Oh, cool! I can't believe you were holding out something like that, Newcomer! Did you decipher anything interesting?"

"The ancients were major pessimists. They never wrote about Buneary and lollipops, from what I can tell," he said while writing in his notebook. Once he'd finished, he read out loud.

"Infuse yourself into the very earth, and a worthy stone you shall make. With the power from space, transfer your energy from stone to stone, and a worthy warrior you shall make. Pray to Arceus, and a worthy soul you shall make," Brendan read.

"Sounds fancy and all, but what does it even mean?"

Brendan picked up one of the rocks strewn around the shrine.

"I think these are Mega Stones," Brendan said. "Let out all of your Pokemon, let's test them."

May let out her Sceptile, Pelipper, Magcargo, and Flygon. Brendan released his Swellow, Hariyama, Manectric, and Alakazam.

"How do I know if it is a Mega Stone?" May asked, picking up a rock.

"You'll feel it pull you towards one of the Pokemon. You'll know as soon as you touch it."

They went through each of the rocks, one by one. A few of them reacted.

"Just these two?" Brendan said, taking the one May had found and weighing them in his hands. "Looks like this one is for you."

Brendan handed May his find and felt the other one draw him to Manectric.

"Sweet," Brendan said, grinning. May was wide-eyed as she held the stone against Sceptile.

"How do you make them hold the stones?" she asked.

"Here." Brendan searched around in his backpack for a pair of necklaces that he'd started carrying in the event that he found more Mega Stones. He also took out a sturdy metal bracelet with a piece of meteorite already embedded into it.

"I was holding onto this as a backup, but it looks like you are going to need it," Brendan said as he tossed the bracelet to May along with a necklace. They fit their stones into the openings of the necklaces and then placed the necklaces around their Pokemon's necks.

"Should we try them?" May asked anxiously.

"I think we should wait. If we find more stones for your Pokemon, then you might want to use one of them. You can only Mega Evolve one Pokemon at a time. You want to make sure that if you use it in battle, you are making the right choice."

May sighed and returned her Pokemon. Brendan returned his, as well, leaving only Absol at his side.

They exited the shrine and kept going through the tunnel.

"You know what?" Brendan said after twenty minutes. "I've just realized something. Earlier, I got the feeling I was being watched, and I'm pretty sure I saw something deeper in the tunnels."

"I know what you mean, I felt the same thing all the way up until Regirock knocked me out."

"But I don't feel it anymore."

"Me neither. I thought I was just going crazy at first. Thanks for validating me." She giggled sweetly, and Brendan smiled at her.

"What?" she asked, chuckling again.

"You've got a cute laugh."

"Brendan, Brendan, Brendan. You're getting more forward every minute. If all it takes is a laugh to win you over, though, then I'm going to walk all over you."

"What's that mean?"

May laughed. "Just you wait. Right now, you're an adventuring trainer. Tomorrow, you'll be carrying my bag all around Lilycove Mall."

"That'll be the day you beat me in battle," Brendan said. "Which you and I both know isn't any day soon."

"You wouldn't do so well without that Alakazam I gave you," she teased.

"Again with the Alakazam. I don't use that thing for every battle, you know?"

"I know. Just the important ones."

"What, Kyogre wasn't important?"

"Kyogre was baby's work, Newcomer! You should've seen those Zigzagoon I wiped away on Route 1. Now that took skill."

"I aspire to reach your level of awesomeness, May."

"Doesn't everybody?"

It was some time before they reached a landmark that reminded them the tunnel was not, in fact, connected to itself, that they weren't walking in circles. The path split into two. Absol started down the left path.

"We can trust Absol's judgment," Brendan said. When he stepped into the left tunnel, Absol shoved him away.

"What gives?" Brendan asked. The Pokemon stood defensively, its feet firmly planted on the ground. Roaring, it twisted its head towards the other tunnel.

"We should stick together, Absol," Brendan said. The Pokemon snapped at him as he came forward once more.

"Brendan," May said. "Let's just take the other direction. If we don't find anything, then we can come back around and check on Absol."

Reluctantly, Brendan turned his back on his Pokemon and followed May into the right hand tunnel.

"Absol is probably going the right way," Brendan said.

"Absol is probably going the right way towards death. It feels something, Brendan. We don't need to walk right into danger."

"But how else are we going to get all of those people?"

"I don't know. We'll figure it out. For now, we'll just see what else we can find. I'm sure something written on these walls will let us know what is going on in here."

Brendan was quiet.

"You still want to go the other way?" May asked.

"Yep."

"But you aren't going to, right?"

"You're the only reason I'm not."

May put her hand on his shoulder and shoved him back and forth.

"Like I told you. I've got you wrapped."

"Wait, what is that?"

Brendan shone his light towards the wall to their right. It reflected back brilliantly off of a billowy white surface.

"Is that—snow?" May reached her hand out as they got closer to the wall, touching ice crystals. The air was chilled, enough to make them shiver.

"Not quite snow, but definitely ice. How strange," she concluded. Brendan touched the ice, too.

"Do you think there's something behind this wall?" he asked.

"Do you think we should check?"

"It's the only way we can make sure there isn't anybody trapped back there."

May sent out Magcargo.

"Magcargo, use Flamethrower to melt that ice!"

The Pokemon turned the frozen wall into a slush that dampened the cave floor. When it had finished, May returned it and switched to Flygon. Flygon tucked in its wings in the tiny passageway.

"Take out that wall, please," May asked. Her Pokemon didn't question. It rammed into the wall several times, first fragmenting the rock then breaking out a few chunks. A couple more hit left a four-foot-wide section in ruin on the ground.

"Thanks," she said while returning the Dragon.

They stared into the cavern.

"Ladies first," she said, gesturing for Brendan to enter the makeshift doorway.

Brendan stepped over the fallen wall with May clinging to his side.

"You know what the word 'first' means, right?" he asked.

"There's no way I'm letting you take off into the unknown all alone!"

The room was like the ones with Registeel and Regirock, having a slope at the center that led up to an elevated portion of the chamber. Piles of ice were spread out around the floor, and every inch of the walls was hidden by massive clumps of frozen water. No Pokemon seemed to be present.

"Maybe somebody beat us to this chamber," Brendan suggested, though he could not identify any other openings. "It looks totally empty."

May sent out Magcargo again.

"Want to start melting more ice, see what's behind it?" she asked.

"Just on that spot, right there." Brendan pointed to the upper portion of the wall at the back, where the names of the other two Regi Pokemon had been written in their respective caverns. May had Magcargo work its way to the wall where Brendan indicated, confirming that the old writing marked the wall.

"Regice," Brendan said without the key.

"How can you tell?"

"I'm starting to memorize the letters. Besides, does that name really surprise you?"

"Good point."

"But where is Regice? There is still so much ice considering there isn't a Pokemon around to have made it."

"I don't know. Maybe… do you think it exploded? Are we walking around in Pokemon guts?" May lifted her right foot and looked at the ice stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

Something shifted against the wall right beneath the name "Regice." One of the larger ice crystals turned around, showing a face marked by a cross made of dots.

"Go, Hariyama!" Brendan said, sending out his Fighting type.

"Hold it off with Flamethrower, Magcargo!"

"Knock it back with Brick Break!"

Magcargo generated a vortex of thick flames, shooting Regice in the front. Hariyama trampled across the ice and chopped Regice while it made a deafening sound of crunching snow. Without warning, Regice fell onto its back, beneath Magcargo's flames, and began sliding across the room. It knocked over Hariyama and rode over Magcargo before slipping over the decline and onto lower ground.

Magcargo and Hariyama reached the slope before Regice could stand itself upright. Magcargo hit it with another Flamethrower and Hariyama sped down the slope on its belly, pummeling Regice.

Pieces of the ground shot upward in chunks, raining back down on Hariyama and Magcargo. Regice shot upward abruptly and came to rest on its feet. Then, it loosed an icy breath into the room, freezing water particles in the air that dug into the trainers' Pokemon. Magcargo did not give up its Flamethrower; it kept Regice under constant assault.

Apparently giving in to the attacks, Regice took shelter behind its brown shell. Within a minute, it had turned a solid gray color and its feet had fused into a single point while its arms became rounded stumps stuck to the sides of its body.

The Pokemon rocked on its back for a moment, then dragged at a surprising speed across the ground, breaking through the cavern wall not far from the opening Brendan and May had made. It turned right and kept going without any obvious use of limbs.

"I know Regirock didn't do that. Did Registeel?" May asked, her hands tucked deep into her pockets. Brendan delicately took her by the wrists and sandwiched her hands between his, breathing on and rubbing them.

"Not that I saw," he said.

"Should we follow it?"

Brendan stopped warming her hands and admired her soft palms and slender fingers.

"Probably."

_For a rough sketch of the Regice form from this chapter, check out the link on my profile._


	8. Chapter 8

Regice left a three-foot-deep indentation as it drug along the ground, propelled by an unknown force. It moved quickly; they followed the tunnels for hours, at times advancing to a run, but never caught up with the Pokemon.

In a chamber at the end of one tunnel, the line Regice cut into the ground ran through the center and continued into the next tunnel. Dots covered the walls, as they had in the other chambers.

"Do you think we have time to figure out what it all means?" May asked.

"We've already lost the stupid thing. I don't think it'll hurt to take a few minutes and maybe figure out what we're up against."

Brendan took out his notepad and the key and swiftly translated some of the text.

"From the rubble of a conflict between longtime enemies, an invader will rise after eons of slumber. The invader, lost, confused, and the last of its kind, will seek to overcome the new land upon which it unwittingly finds itself and pit man against man in its conquest. It will kill most and enslave the rest; the slaves, though, are never safe. They will be rid of once the creature duplicates, resurrecting its kind."

"Does that help us?" May asked.

"Not really. I think we were looking for answers and just found more questions."

"What do we make of it?"

"Nothing. We should probably just ignore it and take what comes at us. If we waste time worrying, we won't be ready to fight."

May nodded.

"Let's get going, then," she said, stepping into the next tunnel.

"Shouldn't we figure out what more of this stuff says?"

"You said it yourself. No matter what we find out here, it isn't really going to prepare for what we're up against. We know it's going to be a fight, and we don't need to worry ourselves over dumb old prophecies."

Brendan stood up and dusted off his knees. Then, he slid his books back into his bag and followed after May.

"Brendan!" May shrieked. Brendan ran to her side as she darted backwards out of the tunnel. Glacia and Drake emerged from the darkness, brandishing Pokeballs.

Their heads hanging and bodies limp, the two Elite Four members released their Pokemon, a Glalie and an Altaria. Both Pokemon gave their trainers an unsure look. Glacia and Drake responded by simultaneously raising an arm and pointing their fingers at Brendan and May. The Pokemon hesitated.

"Go, Pelipper!"

"Come on, Manectric!"

Glalie and Altaria gained confidence, ready to attack the Pokemon rather than their trainers.

Brendan touched his piece of the meteorite, shifting his energy into his Pokemon so it could Mega Evolve.

Pelipper waited behind Brendan's Pokemon while Manectric made its transformation. When it burst out of its shell, Mega Manectric was on edge with energy, now mimicking the shape of the sparks that flew chaotically from its fur.

"Use Thunderbolt on that Glalie, Manectric!"

"Focus on Altaria, Pelipper! Ice Beam!"

Manectric slammed Glalie to the ground with an electric strike from overhead. Pelipper fired an icy pillar from its mouth, freezing Altaria's wings. Drake returned his Pokemon and switched to Flygon while Glalie responded by pelting Pelipper and Manectric with shards of ice.

Flygon struck the ground, sending small tremors travelling around the chamber. Manectric gripped the ground nervously.

"Jump, Manectric!"

Brendan's Pokemon took to the air just as Flygon hit the ground with its tail. May leaned against Brendan, trying not to fall over. Manectric reached its peak height and fell towards the ground again before the shaking had ceased.

"Manectric!"

Pelipper caught Manectric and carried it over the ground until the tremors subsided. The chamber was crafted well enough that it held together, though several large chunks of the ceiling crumbled and fell. One of the chunks collapsed on top of Glalie, knocking it out. Glacia switched to Froslass.

Tossing Manectric, Pelipper turned abruptly and faced Flygon.

"Ice Beam again!" May ordered. Pelipper blasted Flygon. The Dragon issued a sorrowful whine and collapsed on the ground. Drake showed no emotion switching out his Pokemon for Kingdra.

Froslass froze the air in the chamber, generating a snowy storm that bit at Pelipper's wings and chilled Manectric's blood.

"Use Bite, Manectric!"

Manectric braved the storm, charging through the frigid air and locking its jaws on the flaps hanging from Frosslass' arm. Froslass smacked at Manectric, but the canine kept its grip until Froslass was drained of energy. It fell over and Glacia returned it. She then sent out another Glalie.

Kingdra rushed Manectric, riding on a wave of water. As it did, May switched out her Pelipper for Flygon.

"Flamethrower, Flygon!"

"Thunderbolt!"

Manectric repeated its attack, hitting the water that Kingdra had summoned to float in. The electricity carried through the surface, amplifying before finally piercing through Kingdra's body. The majestic seahorse teetered in the water, eventually tipping over and flailing in a receding puddle. Drake switched his Pokemon around yet again, going for another Flygon.

All the while, May's Flygon obscured Glalie behind a wall of flames. Glalie wailed as the fire stripped away its solid exterior, revealing fresh layers of ice that were still forming. Water dripped from its body as Glacia returned her Pokemon and switched to her second Froslass.

"Manectric! Take Froslass down with Bite!"

"Try to hit Flygon with a Dragon Claw!" May yelled.

Manectric made easy work of Froslass, pinning it to the ground and biting it repeatedly until Glacia called it back. May's Flygon flew sharply left, dodging a Dragon Pulse from Drake's Pokemon. May's Flygon came back around and swiped at the opponent with its tail. It managed to slap the other one's face, and it flinched. May's Flygon slashed at Drake's Flygon with its razor-sharp claws, forcing the opponent against the wall. May's Flygon thrust the foe downward and slashed again until it fainted and Drake returned it.

Without warning, Glacia and Drake hovered almost lifelessly over the ground and raced away.

"Did you see that?" May asked.

"I sure did. Didn't look like any strings were involved in that trick."

"What are we about to go up against, Brendan?"

"Maybe a Psychic type? I don't know. I've never seen anything control people in such a twisted way."

May returned her Pokemon, and Brendan copied her. They met near the center of the cavern, glanced into each other's eyes, then started walking in pursuit of Glacia and Drake.

The next tunnel was short. Their headlamps together illuminated an arched opening some eight yards away. Regice's path made a turn left down another tunnel right before the opening.

Absol stood beneath the archway with ears perched and growling furiously.

"Absol!" Brendan called. "Bet you didn't think the paths would intersect, did you? Whatever is in there, we can face it together. Come on, help me out."

Absol snarled and rammed at Brendan.

"You aren't going to stop me from getting in there, Absol!" Absol wouldn't back down, so Brendan took out his Pokeball and returned the rogue Pokemon.

"Brendan," May said. "Maybe we should leave, just for now. We might need backup."

"What if there isn't time? There are a lot of people missing, May. If we slip up now, it's going to be awful."

"But what if we slip up in the cave and end up missing, as well?"

"I won't let that happen. I will make sure you are able to get out."

"Ok. I'm going to call the surface one last time before we go in."

May pressed some buttons on her PokeNav until it starting ringing.

"What… ened… Where… you at? There's so much to… strange stuff happening… everyone's in a tra… and headed into the cave." The signal cut out.

"Or maybe I won't," May said, lowering her arm.

Brendan took a step beneath the archway.

"It looks like a huge room," he remarked. May went inside with him.

They explored the walls with their lights as they descended a stairway cut into the floor. Thirty steps later, they could see the bottom of the cavern. The floor was blanketed by construction workers, most of them missing their hardhats.

"This looks like all of them," Brendan said.

"I think they are breathing."

"So do I."

"I also think we're being watched again."

"So do I."

Brendan felt the presence from earlier behind him.

"Do you think it likes intruders to its cave?" May asked.

"I don't—gah!"

Slimy tentacles wrapped around Brendan's face and body. Strange thoughts penetrated his skull, overriding his normal thinking. He screamed out as images of dead people he'd never met danced around in his head, becoming more appealing as the Pokemon drowned out his reasoning.

Abruptly, the tentacles receded, and Brendan collapsed on the floor. Nearly forgetting where he was, he rolled over and looked around in a daze. May stood facing the right. Her hardhat lied on the ground, the flashlight embedded pointing at her and casting no light on the attacker. Sceptile stood with her, its leafy arm blades in the foreground.

Something moved in the shadows in front of May, rising up towards the ceiling. The sound of Pokeballs releasing deeper in the cave brought Brendan out of his confusion.

"May," he said. "What was that thing?"

"I don't know. I didn't get a very good look at it."

"Where did it go?"

"I think it's hiding," she answered while picking up her helmet.

"Who sent out Pokemon down the steps?"

Brendan stood up and jogged down the rest of the stairs to stand among the kidnapped people. The Elite Four stood at the back of the chamber, where people did not yet litter the ground. In front of them were four Pokemon: Absol, Dusknoir, Walrein, and Salamence.

"Are you ready, May?"

She didn't answer; instead, she touched the meteorite fragment on her wrist, causing her Sceptile to Mega Evolve. When its shell vanished, Sceptile had its back to the enemies, looking over its shoulder to aim an enormous, menacing dart on its tail.

Brendan sent out Manectric, which was no longer in its Mega form. He wanted to hold out on Mega Evolving.

Dusknoir floated forward and Walrein hammered the ground while Absol and Salamence darted to the front. Absol slid its head blade across Manectric's body.

"Thunderbolt, Manectric!"

Manectric bumped into Absol, knocking it backward into a well-timed lightning strike.

"Dragon Claw!" May yelled as Salamence charged suddenly towards her Sceptile. Salamence drove Sceptile backward with Dragon Rush, but Sceptile penetrated the foe's sides with sharp claws. Salamence hollered, and Sceptile clawed its face.

Stepping over the fainted Salamence, Sceptile readied itself to take on Dusknoir. Meanwhile, Absol slashed repeatedly at Manectric, while Manectric darted back and forth dodging its strikes.

"Don't let it hit you! Use Thunderbolt!" Brendan advised.

Manectric continued dodging until it established enough distance to set off its attack without taking a Night Slash from Absol. The lighting rattled Absol's body, and it fell on its face.

Drake and Sidney returned their Pokemon and collapsed onto the cold floor.

Dusknoir passed right through Sceptile, then struck May's Pokemon with a fist of ice. Sceptile screeched and bent over in pain.

"Come back, Sceptile!" she called. "Go, Flygon!"

Her Dragon type emerged from its Pokeball and flew circles around the dark chamber, beyond the sight of Dusknoir and Walrein.

The room filled with ice as Walrein shouted out and bashed its flippers on the ground. A Blizzard developed, scraping all the Pokemon and their trainers.

"Are you okay, May?" Brendan asked through the blinding snow.

"I'm fine. Flygon, find Dusknoir and take it down with Dragon Claw!"

Brendan saw Flygon faintly as it shot through the snow and slashed at something, presumably Dusknoir, to his left. It came back around and slashed again. Then, the chamber went quiet besides the howl of the blizzard.

The snow settled finally. Dusknoir was unconscious on the ground, as was Flygon. May returned her Pokemon while Phoebe did the same. Then, Phoebe fell over, landing motionless on top of Sidney.

Manectric acted without command. It sent lightning crashing down on Walrein. May went for her next Pokemon.

"Save it," Brendan said. "You're going to need more Pokemon when that… that thing shows its ugly tentacles again."

May pocketed her Pokeballs and let Manectric finish off Walrein using another Thunderbolt without Brendan's command. When Glacia called back her Pokemon she, too, hit the ground. Now, the entire Elite Four lied dead still in the back of the cave.

Brendan glimpsed something red moving above him. He looked up as the attacker descended, glowing in a ball of fierce purple energy.


	9. Chapter 9

With a gray torso, a red body marked by blue stripes, a head in the form of a three-point star, and curved fins extending from its knees, the attacker rushed Manectric. They collided explosively; purple and yellow sparks fizzed like a firecracker display, cracking and popping with the sound of gunfire.

Manectric skidded backward towards Brendan and May along the ground. Stopping at their feet, it did not budge, and Brendan returned it.

"I've got your back, Brendan. Go, Pelipper!"

"Be careful, May. Absol, help us out!"

Both trainers released their Pokemon. The opposing Pokemon unleashed a cascade of startlingly bright stars, showering Absol and Pelipper before they could move.

"Night Slash, Absol!"

"Pelipper, quick! Use—what is that?"

Behind them, the ground rumbled. Something heavy approached, causing the volume to increase rapidly. Horrible crashing sounds, like a hundred-vehicle pileup, drowned out the rumbling. Neither dared take their eyes off of the alien before them to see what threat lurked behind.

Absol began to cross the chamber after the enemy, but jumped at a short though deafening _clang_ at the other end of the chamber, similar to a split-second landslide.

Their opponent reshaped itself before their eyes. Its tentacles blended together to form a single pair of noodle-like arms, and the points on the side of its head shrank while the one on the back stretched behind the Pokemon and gray colors took over more parts of its body. The aerodynamic form raced to the ceiling, taking cover in the shadows of hanging stalactites.

Ears ringing from the yet-unidentified sounds behind them, Brendan and May took the opportunity to see what was going on and turned around.

The Registeel transformation stood on the ground. On top of it, the Regice form has anchored itself to its counterpart, acting like the upper body if Registeel were the legs. The long rocky arms of Regirock reached around from behind. The entire creature maintained the dark gray tone each of the forms had adopted individually.

Steven Stone stood beside the Pokemon. His head hung limply to the side, and his arms swung carelessly. The alien attacker descended from the ceiling, now with two stubby protrusions on either side of its head and sporting four tentacles. It wrapped its appendages around Steven, seizing control of his mind. Steven corrected his posture and wiped drool off of his chin.

"Mega Registrice, use Hammer Arm!" he commanded with slurred speech.

The Pokemon equivalent of Frankenstein's monster swung its club arms, slamming Pelipper maliciously to the ground. Pelipper wailed painfully. When Registrice lifted its arm again, Pelipper was in a broken heap. Its wings folded backward unnaturally, surely a sign of shattered bone and torn ligaments.

"Pelipper! No!" May quickly returned the Pokemon to save it from further harm. "Brendan, what do we do?"

"Absol, use X-Scissor!"

Absol cautiously darted towards the towering figure, but Registrice flung it away with a single swipe of its arm. Absol hit the cave wall while Registrice advanced on May, who sent out Magcargo. Registrice stomped on May's Pokemon. Magcargo's gelatinous body absorbed the impact, but it could not keep from fainting. May returned her Pokemon and ducked as Registrice swung its arm at her.

"Come back, Absol. Go, Swellow! Save May!"

Brendan switched his Pokemon, and his Normal bird flew without delay to May's side.

"Steel Wing, Swellow!"

"Stone Edge, Registrice," Steven said.

Swellow sliced at Registrice's body, targeting the stone material of Regirock on its back. Registrice stumbled from the contact, but successfully turned and fired chunks of rock at Swellow from its own body. Swellow lost control and nosedived. Brendan returned the fainted bird before it completed its fall.

Registrice slammed a steel foot into the ground, knocking May over. Then, it cast more stones from its body, burying her.

"May!" Brendan screamed as he fiddled with his Pokeballs. He found one and threw it, not sure who he was releasing. Hariyama came out.

"Brick Break, Hariyama!" he commanded. Hariyama slammed one palm on Registrice while karate-chopping with the other hand. Registrice tried to lift Hariyama, but Hariyama gripped Registrice's lower body. As a result, Registrice held Hariyama upside down while Hariyama walloped the foe's midsection with one hand.

Registrice let go. Hariyama flipped over and rolled helplessly on the ground while Registrice grabbed it by the shoulders and flung it across the chamber. Hariyama fell on its belly amidst the kidnapped repair crew, where it was able to push itself up.

"Zen Headbutt, Registrice!" Steven hollered. Registrice and Hariyama charged at each other, meeting at the fringe of the collapsed people. Hariyama slid to the side, letting Registrice miss and nearly fall over.

"Nice one! Brick Break!" Brendan instructed. Hariyama attacked Registrice at its legs, rattling the fusion. The Regirock form slid of off Registrice's back and landed on the bare ground five feet away from the gathered people.

"Bring it back towards the clearing!" Brendan urged. Hariyama obeyed, outrunning Registrice as the opponent tried another Zen Headbutt. Once in the clearing, Brendan continued.

"Use Strength to knock it over!"

Hariyama dodged the Zen Headbutt, then shifted all of its weight forward onto Registrice. Registrice fell over almost on top of Brendan, breaking into separate pieces at the waist when it hit the ground. Now, Regirock, Registeel, and Regice all lost their energy to Mega Evolve, returning to their original forms, albeit fainted.

The alien Pokemon relinquished its hold on Steven and returned to the star-headed form. Steven fell on his back while the attacker pelted Hariyama with Psychic beams, knocking out Brenan's hefty Pokemon.

"Return," he said, watching his opponent transform yet again. Its head rounded and its entire body thickened while Brendan sent out his next Pokemon.

"Go, Alakazam! Use Shadow Ball!"

Brendan's Psychic type came out of its Pokeball and launched the attack before stabilizing itself on the ground. The menacing ball of spiritual rage slipped through the alien's body and Alakazam titled forward, nearly losing balance. Hardly disturbed, the alien transformed to the star-headed shape and retaliated with its own Shadow Ball. Alakazam could not take the hit; Brendan returned the fainted Pokemon.

"Go, Swampert!" Brendan said, letting out his final Pokemon. Touching the meteorite piece on his wrist, he watched the attacker charge a Psychic orb around itself. When Mega Swampert appeared, the foe attacked, easily knocking Brendan's last defense over. Swampert pushed itself back up as the opponent twisted in the air and used Swift.

Swampert kept itself upright but scrunched its face in agony. The scar on its back from the Groudon fight bled, its legs trembled, and moisture seeped uncontrollably from its skin trying to cool it down. The alien prepared another attack.

_I can't. It'll bring this whole room down._

Shrouded in a purple ball, the opponent shot forward as Brendan contemplated his next move.

_What other choice do I have?_

The alien neared Swampert.

_I have to get May out of here._

"Swampert, use Earthquake!"

Stalactites turned to dust and rained down as the ground shook from Swampert's fists blasting the earth. Soon, chunks of rock followed. Brendan fell over, seeing entire sections of the ceiling cave in and fall. The darkening late afternoon sky was revealed. A piece of stone fell over him, propping itself on rocks already fallen to his left. More tumbling debris became caught on this barrier, which shielded Brendan from the collapse.

It took twenty seconds for the chamber to steady and for the last pieces of the ceiling to break away and become one with the floor. Brendan stood up, coughing in the dust-filled room.

Swampert had fainted on the ground. Beside Brendan's Pokemon, the alien attacker was crushed under a pile of rock.

Brendan looked around. Most of the cave was now covered in debris. The horde of kidnapped people was buried.

"Brendan!" a shaky voice called to him. Brendan looked that direction, spotting Steven. "What's going on? Where are we?"

"Steven!" a woman yelled out. "Steven, is that you?"

"Phoebe. Where are the others?"

"Sidney, Glacia, Drake, they're all here!" The Elite Four appeared as silhouettes in the now settling dust, eventually coming close enough that Brendan could see their faces.

"There's so much blood, Steven," Phoebe said, pointing further into the cave. "We need to get help down here."

"I can't remember anything that happened," Sidney chimed in.

"Me neither," affirmed Drake.

"What about you, Brendan? Brendan?"

Brendan ignored Steven's question. He walked over some of the rubble, exploring the area where the battle had taken place.

"May!" he yelled. "May!"

No one responded. Brendan picked up his pace, running past the unconscious Swampert to locate the pile of debris beneath which Registrice had buried May.

He found a pile of rocks paler than most of the others. With his hands, he lifted some of the smaller pieces, working his way to the ground. May's soft hand stuck out into the opening Brendan made, unmoving.

"May!" Brendan cried, grabbing the hand. He squeezed the fingers, shook it at the wrist, and let go. Her hand fell back onto the ground where he found it.

Steven came up behind Brendan and heaved as he pulled on one of the heavier rocks. Brendan leapt up and joined him. Together, the hoisted the stone off of the pile. Drake and Sidney got started on another large stone, while Phoebe and Glacia worked on slightly smaller ones. The women lifted surprising weight for their size, flexing thick muscles in their upper arms.

They uncovered the rest of May after two minutes. Brendan fell to his knees and lifted her slightly with his worn out arms. Her chest moved slowly up and down.

"She's breathing," Brendan sighed. "She's breathing! Get help!"

"Brendan, do you know what went on?" Steven asked again, bending down to hold May's head up.

"Yes. I remember everything. We need help. May needs help. There are a bunch of others buried."

"I'll watch May. You climb out of here and get help. You'll know what to say when you call."

Brendan let Steven slide May into his lap. Then, he stood up and stared at her.

"Brendan," Steven said. "You need to hurry."

Brendan turned on his heels and walked to the nearest cave wall while dialing a number into his PokeNav.

"Pokemon Emergency Hotline, what is your situation?" a man asked through the PokeNav when he answered to call.

"There's been an attack by several powerful Pokemon and a major cave in. At least one hundred people are buried," Brendan said, gripping the cave wall and beginning to climb.

"What is your location?" the voice asked through the PokeNav's speaker.

"I'm trying to find out."

"What do you see around you?"

"I've been underground. I need to get to the surface to find out. Hold on."

After hiking up the wall, Brendan pulled himself onto flat ground and rolled over onto his back. He took in the scenery, watched by many confused onlookers who stood along the rim of the cave-in.

"I'm at Meteor Falls," Brendan said. "Meteor Falls. Hurry."

_For a rough sketch of Mega Registrice from this chapter, check out the link on my profile._


	10. Chapter 10

Brendan sat across from Steven in an office of the Pokemon League building. May sat at his side holding his hand, her right arm in a sling. Steven and Brendan both wore multiple bandages on their hands to hide where they had torn skin moving rough stones.

"And that's when you woke and caught up with me," Brendan said, finishing his explanation of the events in cavern.

A man stepped inside the office, removing his brown bowler hat and clearing his throat before speaking.

"Mr. Stone," he said. "We've got an official count now."

Steven sighed.

"Let's hear it," Steven said, rubbing his temples.

"One hundred exactly," the man concluded. Steven went quiet, rolling a pen across his desk. When he looked up, his cheeks were red and his eyes puffy and bloodshot.

"Did they recover anybody significant? Excuse me. Each individual was important in their own right. I mean to ask: were any of them prominent? Were there any of our own?" Steven asked.

"Most were construction crew members, sir. We also lost the researcher we called in."

"My… call Johanna. She will come get their girl."

"Right away, sir."

The stranger left, and Steven returned his attention to Brendan.

"I hope you know that what happened isn't your fault, Brendan. You displayed nothing short of heroism during your time underground," Steven said.

Brendan didn't say anything.

"I have some news for you, and I think you might really like to hear it. I'm retiring Brendan. I've held the title of Champion for four years. Normally, it is custom to pass on the honor to someone who has defeated the Champion, and you've done that. You battled the entire Elite Four and myself, the Champion, under particularly straining circumstances that prove your worth for Champion. Will you accept the title, Brendan, and take my place here at the Pokemon League?"

May gasped and sat upright, shaking Brendan's arm.

"That is an amazing offer, Steven," Brendan said. "But…"

"But?" May asked.

"I can't accept. I'm sorry."

"Do not feel remorse for the lives lost in the tunnels, Brendan. It really isn't your fault," Steven assured him.

"It isn't about that. It's about something else."

Steven and May waited for Brendan to continue, so he thought up a lie.

"I need to train more. I need to learn how to better handle dangerous circumstances so that, should tragedy strike again, I can prevent another disaster like what happened yesterday."

"I understand," Steven said. "There is no pressure on you. Wallace is prepared to take my place, as well. He was my second choice."

They spoke a while longer about nothing important. Brendan couldn't focus on the conversation. Before he knew it, he was outside again, walking across the island, holding May's hand.

_With one eye, and one arm, and a beast of three heads, a power-hungry man will conquer the world. His reign will be unjust, and his enforcement cruel. His three-headed monster will kill many, and his minions will kill many more. Pokemon will be annihilated. Trainers will be extinct. The world will cry_.

Brendan had recounted the tale in his head several times since the previous night.

"Whatcha' thinking about, Newcomer?" May asked.

"Nothing," he told her.

_This is one prophecy that is not going to come true._


	11. The Legacy Continues

TWO YEARS AFTER THE REVIVAL OF DEOXYS

The tall, green-haired man sifted through the knee-high wild grass. He scratched his face beneath the patch covering his right eye.

"Sir," a scrawny scientist in camouflage said. "I think it might be time to give up the search. There is no sign of him, sir. He won't be alive after all this time."

"No," the man with one arm replied, whacking the scientist across the shins with his metallic walking cane. "Must I tell you each day? We will search until we find that child, dead or alive. And I assure you, we will find him alive."

Thirty others participated in the search effort. They looked for another half hour, at which time the sun passed beneath the line of the bridge reaching away to the big city at the end of the horizon.

As they began to clear out for the night, something rustled in a bush behind the green-haired man and the scientist. A family of Darmanitan shivered in the bushes, startled by the search party passing through the woods that were normally devoid of people.

"Look at the way they're stood in a ring," the scientist said. "Darmanitan don't usually coordinate shapes. They typically just huddle together, or they spread out to scavenge."

The other man didn't speak. He came up towards the group and looked in the center of their ring. A small mass clutched one of the Darmanitan's legs. The man swung his cane through the group, dispersing them.

"I'll be," the scientist said at the discovery. A human infant, hardly old enough to stand, was curled up naked on the ground, peering in confusion at the two men. The rest of the search party started to cheer as word got around of the find.

The green-haired man lifted the child.

"You," he said. "You have been a waste of valuable resources. Of precious time. You are a waste of a human being."

He paused.

"But you are my key to power."

"What will we call the boy, sir?" the scientist asked.

"Look at him. His hair is matted. His body is tanned. He doesn't belong in a beautiful home like that which we will provide. He belongs out here, in this filth. In nature."

Holding the child beneath the arms, straight out in front of him, the green-haired man hesitated.

"Are you suggesting we don't name him, sir?" the scientist asked.

"Natural," the other continued at last. "Natural Harmonia Gropius."

_Be sure to read the upcoming Wally's Legacy. Details on my profile._


End file.
